What are energy drinks?
A bottled concoction that usually contains fruit juice with any number of
herbal extracts created to give you a physical or mental "boost".
Some Energy Drinks are called "Sports Drinks" designed to give you
an energy boost while working out. They can also contain large amounts of
caffeine, sugar, minerals, and/or vitamins.
Some names of energy drinks:
- Red Bull
- SoBe
- Gatorade
- Powerade
- Snapple "Elements" (Rain, Earth, Fire, Voltage, Moon,
etc.)
- Kava Sutra
- Niagara
- Guru
- Adrenaline Rush
- ISO Sprint
- Dragon
- Viking
Some substances that energy drinks contain:
- Caffeine (typically the amount in 2.5 Cokes)
- Guarana (caffeine-like stimulant from Brazil)
- Taurine (stimulant)
- Ephedrine (stimulant)
- Siberian Ginseng (stimulant)
- Green Tea (caffeine)
- Echinacea (herb)
- Ginkgo Biloba (herb)
- St. John's Wort (alleged antidepressant)
- Kava Kava (traditional Polynesian sedative)
- Damiana (herb)
- Mate (caffeine-like)
- Schizandra (herb)
Health concerns over energy drinks alone:
- Ephedrine and caffeine together has been proven to cause deadly heart
problems.
- Some people have sensitivity to caffeine and/or other stimulants.
- Sugar in energy drinks slows the body's absorption of water,
contributing to dehydration.
Concerns with mixing energy drinks with alcohol:
- Caffeine and alcohol are both diuretics (promote fluid loss), so
dehydration is a possible issue and is suspected to be the cause of 3
deaths involving Red Bull and alcohol.
- Combining strong stimulants (caffeine or caffeine-like stimulants)
with a heavy depressant (alcohol) could cause cardiopulmonary or
cardiovascular failures.
- Both stimulants and alcohol contribute to a loss of coordination and
balance.
- Both stimulants and alcohol affect the body's ability to regulate
temperature.
- Stimulants may cause drinkers to feel more alert, making them perceive
themselves as less impaired for driving or other dangerous activities.
- Stimulants cause drinkers to stay awake and alert longer, possible
extending the length of time they will continue drinking.
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